The Arc of Atlantic County

FAMILY SUPPORT AND RESPITE

Through the Family Support Program, The Arc provides a range of social and recreational respite opportunities for hundreds of people with developmental disabilities who live in Atlantic County.

Services offered through family support include:

In-home respite provides a family with either a respite worker or the money to hire their own worker for up to 20-hours each month per family.

Respite provides a much needed break to families from the responsibility of caring for a person with a developmental disability. This service is provided in the family’s home. Families can access 20-hours of respite care a month. Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) eligibility is required.

Hotel Respite gives the caregivers a night off and provides the consumer a chance to go on a road trip, stay overnight in a hotel, have a few meals out, and have an adventure away from home.

Two trained staff members will provide three to four individuals with developmental disabilities the opportunity to spend the night away from home in an area hotel. The individuals (depending on the age of the group) will have the opportunity to enjoy such activities as going to a restaurant, the movies, the boardwalk, casino shows, or dance clubs. This program is limited to one weekend a year per individual. Participant must be DDD eligible.

Saturday Program offers five hours of social and recreational activities for children aged five and up on Saturday morning.

Families with children can often use a break on Saturday. We offer a five-hour out-of-home respite service from 10 AM to 3 PM. Children with developmental disabilities have the opportunity to interact and hone their social skills. Activities are structured and designed to improve social skills. Our staff meets the needs of the children who require personal care and assistance. Eighteen children can be served each week. This is a very popular service and families must sign up each week for their child to attend the program. DDD eligibility is not a requirement to attend.

Sunday Program is a lot like the Saturday Program, only it is offered to adults.

This adult respite service is provided year-round on Sunday from 12 to 5 PM to families caring for an adult with a developmental disability. Individuals over the age of 17 can attend and participate in a wide variety of activities. Small field trips are held several times a year. Families (or the individuals) must call and sign up each week. We can accommodate 16 adults each week. DDD eligibility is not required. No transportation is provided, however, many individuals are able use Access Link.

After School Program provides a safe and caring environment for developmentally disabled children whose parents or guardians work beyond the school day.

This service allows parents who have a child with special and who need to work beyond school hours. Four staff provide up to twelve children after school care from 3 PM to 6 PM. DDD eligibility is required.

Cash subsidies are available to help families purchase equipment, personal care or other items necessary for the care of a family member with a developmental disability.

A small amount of money is available for families to assist with expenses incurred in caring for a family member with a developmental disability. Applications are handled by the Division of Developmental Disabilities and reviewed quarterly by a committee. In the past, families received funds to help pay for summer camp, adaptive equipment not covered by insurance, guardianship expenses, and special dietary supplements to name a few. To apply contact your Division of Developmental Disabilities case manager at DDD (609) 561-5070 for more information.

Life Skills Training is a popular program offered through Family Support Services. It is a one-on-one tutoring program for adults and children with a developmental disability who need help learning and maintaining basic life skills, such as money handling, time, reading, writing, clothing care, cooking and other skills according to the needs of the individual.

This program is specifically designed to tailor the teaching to the students. The goal is always to promote greater independence and to help prepare the student for daily living responsibilities both at school or in the work world. Typically the sessions either take place in the student's home or appropriate community setting. To be eligible, the student must have a developmental disability, be a resident of Atlantic County, and meet income criteria set by the Division of Youth and Family Services (which provides the grant to run the program). There is no age restriction.